Rising Anti-Semitism Among Muslims in France

The Boston Globe has an article today on the rise of anti-Semitism among Muslims in France. The article focuses on the recent brutal killing of a young Jew named Ilan Halimi. Last week near Paris there were three more attacks against Jews. "There is alarm that the antipathy of French Muslims toward Jews, long based on opposition to Israel, is reverting to the even more sinister prejudices that once pervaded Europe, making Jews the scapegoats for all social ills. Anti-Semitism is rising in our country," said legislator Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

The killing of Halimi was the first time since World War II that a French person was killed for being Jewish. There were less Jewish attacks last year than the day before but it is felt the reason is increased security on Jewish property. There is no doubt that more attacks are likely as a growing Muslim community in France pushes against the social problems they face in this country. Even the French worry about their future.

I have been reading Claire Berlinski's fine book, Menace in Europe. She devotes a chapter studying this problem in Europe and writes of an interesting exchange between Zvi Ammar, the president of the Jewish Consistory of Marseilles and a French politician. "You, the Jews", he said, " you're French here in France, it's your country, but if there's trouble tomorrow you have Israel. Us? Where will we go? Nowhere. We don't know where to go".
Dominique de Villepin when he (de Villepin) was minister of the interior. remarked, "The worst is not behind us. It is ahead of us". (Menace in Europe, page 101).

Muslim youth in France feed on a steady diet of anti-Semitic propaganda from al-Jazeera and al-Manar. The music and speeches are designed to get the Muslim youth into the streets and kill Jews. Short of suspending freedom of speech in France there is little hope of change.